Product info
Product Description
quicklime (CaO)
, also called
calcium oxide
or
lime
,
compound
of one
atom
of
calcium
and one atom
of
oxygen
that is a white or grayish white solid produced in large quantities by roasting calcium carbonate so as to drive off
carbon dioxide
. At room temperature, CaO will spontaneously absorb carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere
, reversing the reaction. It will also absorb
water
,
converting
itself into
calcium hydroxide
and releasing
heat
. The bubbling that accompanies the reaction is the source of its name as "quick," or living, lime. The reaction of quicklime with water is sometimes used in portable heat sources.
One of the oldest known products of a chemical reaction , quicklime is used extensively as a building material. The origin of hydraulic cements goes back to ancient Greece and Rome. The materials used were lime and a volcanic ash that slowly reacted with it in the presence of water to form a hard mass.